TUTORIAL SHEET 3

Key Concepts:
● Observations are a cornerstone of scientific inquiry and must be of acceptable
(usually high) degree of accuracy and precision.
● Experiments (often with controls and variables) are devised to test hypotheses.
● A scientific theory is a broad explanation that is widely accepted because it is
supported by a great deal of evidence.
● A scientific law describes an observed phenomenon, but it doesn't explain why
the phenomenon exists or what causes it.
● In science, a model is a representation of an idea, an object or even a process or
a system that is used to describe and explain phenomena that cannot be
experienced directly.

For Discussion:
1. Why do scientists make use of observations?
Scientists use observations to prove or disprove hypotheses in order to
understand the natural world.
2. What are the main difficulties in ensuring observations give reliable information?
An individual’s perceptions of personal biases
3. How do scientists try to overcome these limitations?
With the use of empirical evidence
4. Why do scientists often depend on experiments to reach their conclusions
instead of merely observing nature? Why is one experiment never enough?
The results must be repeatable
5. How are explanation, theory and prediction related?
A hypothesis is an idea about how something works that can be tested using
experiments. A prediction says what will happen in an experiment if the
hypothesis is correct. A theory is a principle set to explain phenomena already
supported by data. ( predictions, theories, explanation)
6. How do facts become theories?
7. The model of the atom has undergone four revisions - What does this mean for
the role of models in science?
8. What does all this mean for truth in science?